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墨書 Inktalez
In this world, power speaks louder than anything else. The rules and order are merely tools to restrain others. Whoever holds the initiative has the final say, their words become law, and they are the ones in control. Under such circumstances, the weaker party has no voice at all; it’s a matter of being on the chopping block while others wield the knife. If you’re dissatisfied or resentful, you have to swallow it down; throwing eggs against stones is utterly pointless.
All this is to express one thing: Wu Wentao has surprisingly shown great tolerance and concession.
Currently, the situation at the cave tunnel entrance is as follows: Ying Dou Dou and Dapeng, representing another team, have appeared here with certain tasks; Wu Wentao is accompanied by battle-hardened Foreign Operatives and his trusted aide, Chu Guangxu. Jiao Ziqian is with his Young Man. It seems like a three-way standoff, but that’s not entirely accurate. The relationship among these three groups is somewhat special, primarily revolving around Jiao Ziqian and Ying Dou Dou.
According to Wu Wentao's usual temperament and style, he has the most people present and the strongest combat capability. After discovering the secrets of the cave, it’s only natural for him to seize everything. It’s important to understand that there exists a military supply depot within the cave. Although it may have been depleted by the women here over the years, judging by their extravagant feasts, there are still enough resources to support their lavish spending. To survive in this world, firearms and food are paramount; guns are for defense and plunder, while bread is for sustenance. Having either one equates to holding a VIP pass in this apocalyptic scenario.
Wu Wentao prefers to speak through force; he has no interest in farming or animal husbandry, considering them menial tasks. That’s why he initially led a group of Thugs to play the roles of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Later, he encountered Old Tian, a seasoned veteran from The Establishment. While Old Tian wasn’t cut out for violence, he was quick-witted. Upon realizing Wu Wentao's team had formidable mobility and combat strength, he decisively decided to combine their strengths—using guns to safeguard their self-sufficiency—hoping to assist Wu Wentao in becoming a builder of a new order.
At this moment, Wu Wentao's usual ruthless habits had somewhat tempered. Nevertheless, he later bloodily wiped out a warehouse site. This shows that no matter how much a steel blade is sheathed, it remains a steel blade; come too close and you’ll see blood.
“Talk to your girlfriend about that batch of supplies—half for each of us,” Wu Wentao instructed Jiao Ziqian and Ying Dou Dou clearly stating that they only needed half of those supplies.
This statement left everyone present feeling somewhat incredulous.
“How did he figure it out?” Dapeng thought.
“Why should I give you half?” Ying Dou Dou pondered.
“Wow, the captain has changed,” Chu Guangxu mused.
“Discussed? Why discuss?” Foreigner wondered.
Jiao Ziqian didn’t think anything; he hadn’t yet processed what was happening.
Faced with their silence and hesitation, Wu Wentao smiled lightly without urging them further. He signaled Foreigner and Chu Guangxu to help dismantle the logs blocking the tunnel entrance before patting Jiao Ziqian on the shoulder and pushing him toward Ying Dou Dou.
"He said those are real." Jiao Ziqian suppressed his urgent desire to pursue Song Jiu and asked in a low voice, "Are you here in the mountains looking for supplies?"
Ying Dou Dou blinked her big eyes, peering through the darkness at the Young Man she had known for less than twenty-four hours. She bit her lip lightly and nodded gently.
"Goodness, you three have some guts. You dare to come here to pull teeth from a tiger's mouth," Jiao Ziqian said, giving Dapeng a look of disbelief.
His reaction left Ying Dou Dou astonished; she felt both amused and angry. What kind of focus is that? Shouldn't a normal person be shocked by the existence of a military supply warehouse? Shouldn't there be some surprise? Why aren't you even curious about my identity? And what's wrong with the three of us? What do you think we are?
"How do you speak?" Ying Dou Dou glared at him angrily.
"Uh, don't get me wrong. I'm not targeting you; I'm talking about the three of you."
"He's not wrong. Our purpose is indeed in the mountains," Ying Dou Dou interrupted his evasive remarks, taking a deep breath. Her gaze became stubborn as she said, "But we discovered it first. Your companion is being too much."
Chu Guangxu chuckled at her words. Silly girl, what does it matter who came first at a time like this?
"What are you all worried about? Whether there are supplies or not is still up for debate; we’ll see when the time comes," Jiao Ziqian said disinterestedly. In the past, logistics had been handled by Luo Yu, then Chef Jia, and now there was a dedicated team responsible for this within Roundabout. As a combat personnel, he had no interest in getting involved in these trivial matters.
"Jiao, can you get something done? With so many people on our side, we can't go against the northwest wind without supplies. Don't you guys usually pay attention to logistics?" Chu Guangxu couldn't help but speak out, thinking Jiao Ziqian was blinded by female charm and was just plain foolish.
"Fuck off," Jiao Ziqian snapped angrily, turning to curse him out. "Don't push your luck; what does this have to do with you?"
Chu Guangxu straightened up to retort, but a pair of strong hands pressed him down. Wu Wentao walked over, standing between Jiao Ziqian and Ying Dou Dou. He patiently said, "The importance of supplies is self-evident. The military warehouse has a considerable stockpile; it's unrealistic for you to monopolize it. Moreover, whether you escape or delve deeper into the mountains, it's all thanks to us. I've already shown my goodwill; let’s both take a step back and share the benefits."
While his words sounded reasonable, Ying Dou Dou was still displeased. Despite her lack of combat power, she had an inherent stubbornness. Dapeng stood by meekly, not daring to speak up, which made Ying Dou Dou's fearless gaze seem somewhat provocative. In fact, Ying Dou Dou's considerations couldn't be openly stated; if it were just the three of them, sharing with Wu Wentao wouldn't matter much since they wouldn't take much anyway. However, this mountain exploration mission involved more than just their squad; it could be said that everyone was out in full force. The total number of people combined was certainly greater than Wu Wentao's group, so Ying Dou Dou felt completely justified at this moment.
"Little girl, you should know that I don't have much patience. I can probably guess what you're thinking. If it weren't for him..." Wu Wentao chuckled and pointed at the bewildered Jiao Ziqian beside him. "If it weren't for him, I could kill you or knock you out right now. Understand?"
"Brother Qian'er, it's clear." The Young Man called out softly as he waved his torch in excitement. "There's a female corpse here; take a look and see if it's one of your friends."
A few people were startled and hurriedly gathered around to take a look. Lying coldly on the ground was a female corpse, covered in tattooed patterns. Her skull had been shattered, with a clump of long hair fallen beside her. Brain matter and blood splattered everywhere, and her eyes were wide open, the dim pupils still holding a trace of astonishment.
"Not good," Ying Dou Dou said, her face pale. Seeing Jiao Ziqian anxiously about to rush in, she quickly grabbed him and said, "Ziqian, I can't make decisions about that batch of supplies. I hope you can understand."
"Understand, understand," Jiao Ziqian replied, already tired of hearing it. He glanced at Wu Wentao and said, "We either find Brother Jiu to discuss this or you all handle it yourselves. I can't make any decisions here. I'm going in first." With that, he raised his torch and rushed into the tunnel, disappearing around the corner in an instant.
"Fine," Wu Wentao said, his eyes darting around. "Since you can't make decisions, I'll talk to those who can later."
"Do as you wish," Ying Dou Dou rolled her eyes and followed closely behind Dapeng as they ran inside.
"Why waste words with her? Just get rid of her," Chu Guangxu muttered irritably. "Bury the men and let that kid take the woman back."
"They have their own support team; let's not complicate things for now," Wu Wentao replied with a smirk, urging the two to keep up as they walked. "Besides, can't you see? Jiao Ziqian has some feelings for that girl. It’s a good opportunity to assess each other's worth and form alliances where necessary."
Chu Guangxu exchanged glances with the Foreigner behind them, both surprised by what they saw. Indeed, it seemed that even the usually straightforward Wu Wentao was starting to think strategically.
They were unaware of Wu Wentao's true intentions. He had seen the Sea Chart before—not only seen it but had personally led a team to bomb that area in a desperate attempt during the apocalypse. This map wouldn't just appear in the hands of unrelated individuals without reason; although Ying Dou Dou and her companion seemed harmless, their backers were evidently not simple characters. The most likely scenario was that it belonged to The Establishment, which had been hiding overseas for years. Their sudden return to Land at this moment raised questions—were they here to seize control or because they believed Kenny's shadow had finally lifted?
Regardless of their motives, as someone who had once navigated through such turbulent events, he felt it necessary to make contact with them.
While Jiao Ziqian and the others sprinted ahead, Song Jiu remained hidden around a corner in the warehouse. The winding tunnel was not short, so he was unaware that his companions were rapidly approaching. At that moment, Song Jiu felt trapped; he had almost decided to give up when that Little Woman unexpectedly intervened, causing him to hesitate once more.
The bald man guarding the closed iron door paused his actions as instructed. The flickering firelight illuminated a gap that looked like an abyssal entrance or perhaps a shortcut leading to light. From Song Jiu's perspective, he could see women moving towards one direction inside; there was noise and commotion, but he couldn't discern what was happening. The guard remained vigilant; although he no longer closed the door, he dared not leave his post and stood by the gap watching intently.
Song Jiu furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before slipping out from around the corner. Taking advantage of the guard's diverted gaze, he hurriedly approached the half-closed iron door and pressed himself against its rusted surface, perfectly positioned in the blind spot of the guard's line of sight. The voices inside became clearer; it seemed someone was desperately trying to stop something from happening, but their efforts were ineffective as another group insisted on proceeding with their plans. The two sides argued for quite some time without reaching a conclusion.
Song Jiu cupped his hands over his ears in an attempt to hear the women's conversation more clearly. After some noise from within, Red Mother’s hoarse voice suddenly rose above everyone else's, silencing them instantly.
"Open," Red Mother commanded.
After a calm two minutes, the sounds of the Bald Gang began to echo again, as if they were straining to drag something. Just a few shouts later, a mechanical spring snapped loudly, followed by a series of clanking metal sounds, suggesting that something had been opened.
Song Jiu licked her cracked lips, wondering if they were preparing to escape. However, suddenly everything inside seemed to be muted, as if someone had pressed the mute button. A curious Song Jiu tilted her head slightly and peered through a gap. Through the tip of a bald head, she saw a pile of yellow nylon bags stacked like a small mountain, surrounded by a group of Beastskin Women standing like statues, blocking her line of sight.
"How strange," Song Jiu murmured to herself. Cautiously, she slung her rifle over her shoulder; it seemed there were only these two guards at the entrance, making this a good opportunity to sneak in.
Just as she was about to make a move, the signature hoarse voice of Red Mother rang out again, though this time it carried a hint of tremor.
"Child."
Song Jiu frowned and pulled out her dagger, slowly edging closer to the door's crack.
"I'm here; let him go."
Another woman's voice suddenly appeared, amplified by the cave's acoustics to an overwhelming degree that echoed in Song Jiu's ears.
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